One day, in the hustle and bustle of networking, lunches, power breakfasts, and such I noticed a missing connection. It is probably no surprise that most of these events were chock full of masculinity, I mean I should’ve noticed it years ago.
I guess a decade working in Oil & Gas desensitized me to the lack of women represented in these events. But this particular day, I was literally the only woman in the room amongst a sea of men. It hit me, I needed some woman power, and it wasn’t happening in that space.
I needed women who had capitalized on their strengths and supported one another. AWC has the representation I need! They inspire, educate, share, encourage, and believe in me. And me in them! If you’re sitting on the fence about joining AWC, I thought I might shine a little light. There is a lot more to consider when joining a group like this than meets the eye. You’re embarking on a community that could literally change your career, your life, and your appreciation for what women can do.
Here are 10 of my favorite reasons for being in AWC:
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Women Care
Women understand women. We love a beautiful place setting, a slice of pie, and can totally overlook the spit-up on your shoulder. When women come together, something beautiful happens in our mix-matched conversations that can jump from million-dollar marketing strategies, to feeling safe in a parking garage, launching a new brand, and right back into something wonderful that happened that week. Women share. We love to get behind the surface of the person, challenge, conversation, situation and really understand what the other person needs and how to best communicate it.
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Intelligent Space
On any given week, I find myself at lunch with women who know their stuff. This isn’t your typical networking event. We are a community of communicators who are constantly honing our craft in the marketplace, through online courses, and of course with fantastic webinars hosted by AWC. Don’t let the intelligence intimidate you, darling. You’ve got gems to share too. And we need you to be bold and join the conversations.
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Vulnerability & Support
Not all the women in my group would raise their hand at this identifier, at least not on the same day. But when it comes down to it, when we see one of our own come to lunch with a heaviness on her shoulders, we recognize it and we support her. Sometimes it’s about work, sometimes its aging parents, a hard test they think they failed, or a scary diagnosis. At some point, we all need a moment to be the one nurtured. Women recognize it, lean into it like no other can, and empower you to come out the other side optimistically.
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Community Breeds Opportunity
The fact is if you want to be successful, you’ve got to be in community with others. I’ve found that being in this community has opened doors for opportunities I had no idea to expect. I hired my first assistant through a resume shared in our community, the woman I hired got her first job out of college through our community. I was invited to speak to University classes, Home Builder’s Associations, and a technology company. I was asked to write for a National Blog (thanks AWC)! Each and every one of those opportunities became available to me because I was in the AWC community.
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Unique Educational Programs
Our program meetings are brilliant, we always learn so much. It is probably my favorite part of AWC each month. The topics are varied, some non-conventional, some motivational, all well-planned and interesting.
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Professional Fun Minus The Drama
I’ve been a member of the AWC community for about 2 years, and I can honestly say that there has never been any drama. Our community is there for one reason, to connect and grow. We support and encourage each other, and where we do let loose a bit at a happy hour from time to time, we never forget that the woman sitting next to us matters more than pettiness.
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AWC Women Are Inclusive
Sound too good to be true? Maybe we are? The best way to find out is to visit a meeting, shake a few hands, and enjoy watching women band together.
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Talent in the Room
AWC is comprised of the most talented people in your network and beyond, I guarantee it. AWC women are gifted with words, strategy, design, organization, vision casting, connecting, teaching, creativity, and so much more. Bring yours along and I bet you find a collaborator in no time.
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A Diverse Group of Peers & Mentors
On any given week, our AWC meeting is filled with college students, marketing managers, directors of marketing, CEO’s, and retired communicators. A speaker I enjoy named Jackie White sometimes uses the phrase “multi” in place of diverse. I think it describes us well. We are a multi-group of women. Multi-generational, multi-background, multi-educated, multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-location, multi-talented, you get the idea.
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You’re Worth It
You deserve a group of women to rally with you, stretch you, grow with you, and connect you to opportunities aplenty. You deserve a group of professional women who understand the importance of communication, hone the craft, and empower each other. You deserve to be in AWC, and we want you here. I should note, I have a three-date minimum for trying anything new. If you decide to join on your first visit, that’s great! If you need a bit more time, give us three, you’ll be hooked!
About the Author
Amy Wood is a writer and marketing strategist with 20 years of international experience in product and service marketing. She’s the wife of Carl Wood, and mom to three awesome adult kiddos. Amy is the Founder and CEO of Flint Avenue Marketing an outsourced marketing department and content development company located in Lubbock, Texas.
